The Other Side
by silvertears0108
Summary: Pieces of the Origin Stone, which was a sign of peace between the regions after the Great War, are slowly disappearing from their region. Team Flare slowly rises out of the ashes and Team Rocket's ambitions are growing stronger. The world is slowly falling into chaos with disappearing memories and broken promises. The nightmare that comes with a little girl following a dream.
1. Chapter 1

**I have no right to the Pokémon franchise. I do own Vee and Ace :)**

**The Other Side**

**Chapter 1**

A young man sat at a table in Lysandre Cafe with his blue eyes fixed on the television in the corner of the room. He ran a hand through his blonde hair and grinned when he saw the woman who decided to sit across from him. Her hair was hot pink and her eyes were covered by a pair of red sunglasses. She wore what you could consider a black crop top that started above her bellybutton and ended around her neck. Her pants were the color of fire, which makes sense if you knew of her fiery personality. Her black heel clicked against the floor in impatience and her eyes scanned the young man for signs of news. "Nothing yet Malva. I've been waiting here all morning. It shouldn't be too much longer."

The television in the corner suddenly changed programs. "_We have more breaking news! Another piece of the Origin Stone has gone missing. After the Great War pieces of this stone were distributed to each region as signs of unity and friendship between the regions. Now, all pieces have been taken with exception of the Kalos region, with Hoenn's piece being reported missing only a few hours ago. Security is at its highest with the last possible hit being in the Kalos region. Now let's go to Officer Jenny…"_

A smirk quickly grew on Malva's face. Team Flare would be back in action very soon. Lysandre's decision for her to take over the cafe was a good one. No one would question a member of the Elite Four. The law enforcement was simply blind to the action of criminal organizations. They didn't open their eyes until they gained enough power to do something destructive and by then it would be too late for them.

"_Let the girl do the work for you. She may be the only one who can. When the time is right we'll throw both of the kids back into the dark holes they crawled out of. The boy is so love sick he doesn't realize the blow that will hit him when he finds himself in same the situation the girl tried to warn him about. The plan will work out in our favor. Just be patient Malva." _The words Lysandre had said to her echoed through her mind.

She glanced over at the boy whose eyes hadn't left the screen. He really was worried about the little brat. Interesting considering she threw away everything he did for her. It didn't matter how powerful Ace was. He was just a love sick kid, just like Lysandre said.

The little brat was the one they had to be worried about. She knew what our cards were before we played them and got away when she had the chance. The game was almost over. There is only one piece of the stone left for her to get, and we'll be meeting her there. "We found you," Malva whispered before she and Ace walked out of the cafe.

* * *

><p>The man reached over to turn the television off. The entire broadcast irritated him immensely. Competition shouldn't have been too hard in this business, but it seemed more and more people had dreams that could only be reached on the other side of the law. This was more than a little competition though. This was a <em>challenge<em>. The thought made him smile. The thought that someone would challenge _him_ of all people. The thought made him laugh.

"Mrrrreow." The sound woke him from his thoughts. He felt Persian rub its soft, furry head against his hand, making the leader of Team Rocket smile. They'd get through this problem like they always did. It couldn't be much of a problem. He'd just have to hope that the law didn't point fingers at Team Rocket. As long as the blame wasn't on them, they could do a little more work on the black market themselves. He wouldn't let anyone think they are criminals of the past.

The door creaked open and Giovanni didn't need to lift his eyes from his precious feline to know who had walked across the Rocket logo on the purple floor. When the clicking of her footsteps stopped in front of his desk he looked up to see a woman in a red blazer and a long black dress. Her black hair was cut right above her shoulders and her mouth was pressed into a firm line. Brown eyes were seen through the glasses sitting at the top of her nose.

"Is there a problem Matori?" Matori wasn't one to barge into his office. She respected him and was very serious about her work. To see her disobey him was a major surprise, but he wasn't angry. He could see the way her lips curved down despite her trying to hide it with her usual business expression. Most likely here to report about what he just saw on the news.

"Sir, we just received a report from one of our agents. It's about the recent events on the news…" Matori's eyes shifted to the ground when she stopped speaking. It raised question in Giovanni's head. Matori wasn't one to show emotion because she was a true business woman at heart. Whatever news she had received was news she didn't want to deliver.

"Yes, get to the point," he growled. Whatever the bad news was, Giovanni wasn't going to be kept waiting. Conversations shouldn't have to be guessing games. A quality he had always admired in Matori was her straightforwardness.

"It's about the theft that just occurred in the Hoenn region. I'm sure you are aware of it, yes?" Giovanni nodded his head so Matori could continue. "An agent has reported information about the one who's behind it all."

Now, the Rocket Leader was very confused, although he didn't show it. What could be so bad about this piece of news? It was the information they had been after ever since the disappearance of the first piece of the Origin Stone.

"Continue," he said the irritation growing in his voice. A simple piece of news shouldn't have taken so long for Matori to deliver. If it was bad news, she should just say it outright like she normally does. He hired her because he thought the woman could take the pressure.

"The information was received from a psychic pokemon because of a case of amnesia the agent received after returning to base. At the time it was unknown why the agent had amnesia because their was no head injury. Dr. Zager had the idea that a pokemon had caused it, but it seems that was not the case. After having a musharna show us the forgotten memory with its dream mist we were surprised to see what the real cause of memory loss was. We couldn't see a face too clearly, but we could make out the gender of the thief, which is female."

Giovanni nodded so she knew he understood. "The agent still can't recall anything. After looking at the memory again and again we still don't see any pokemon around that could have done this."

Giovanni wanted to laugh in the woman's face. "Where is your proof that she is the thief? Who is the agent and why wasn't I informed of this memory extraction before now?" He leaned forward his eyes on Matori. "And are you trying to tell me you think this girl was the one who erased this agent's memory?" His voice was raising itself with each word. "It seems you are trying to make a joke out of me."

Matori didn't seemed to be fazed. She had the same blank expression on her face. "Sir, I think you are well aware of the group that can do these things. I do believe she is one of them with that 'gift'. The agent was one of the few you sent to look for clues as to who this person is. His name is Pierce and worked on an assignment in Unova not long before you removed him from that project. You weren't informed because we didn't believe it would be of any importance to you with your work in Unova at the time."

Her hand moved up from her sides to one of the pockets in her red blazer. A piece of paper was pulled out of her pocket and she set it on his desk. "I think you may want to read this. It may be all the proof you need."

* * *

><p>Ash hung up the phone and walked over to the table his friends had chosen. The Pokemon Center in Coumarine City was full of trainers today. Most them were probably headed to the gym for a badge. He was sure glad got ahead of all the other trainers.<p>

"How did the call go?" Serena was the first to acknowledge his return. Her blue eyes looked up from the floor they had been fixed on seconds before.

"I guess it went okay. Mom seemed to be really worried, but you know how mom's are!" Ash said with his usual energy.

"Where's Pikachu?" Ash inquired after noticing his friend was gone. Clemont turned and pointed to the other side of the center where Dedenne and Pikachu were playing.

Ash wanted to hurry to get his fifth badge, but his friends would probably want to stay in the center for another night before heading out. Besides, he wouldn't mind having a little more time to fill his empty stomach…

A sudden realization hit him. His next gym badge would be against his friend. He turned his head to look at Clemont. "Hey! Looks like my next gym battle will be against you."

Clemont immediately woke up from whatever thoughts had been going around in his head. "I guess you're right! Of course, just cause we're friends doesn't mean I'll go easy on you!" The boys went to talk about their gym battle.

Meanwhile, Serena was thinking of whose side she'd be on.

"Serena what's wrong?" A young girl with the same blonde hair as Clemont spoke up next to her.

"I'm just thinking of who I'll side with," Serena said with a smile.

"I'll root for Ash of course!" Bonnie announced proudly. "He'll probably win anyway."

This got Clemont's attention, "You can't do that!"

Bonnie crossed her arms, "And why not? What have you ever done for me?"

Clemont frowned, "Plenty of things. For starters I caught Dedenne for you."

Bonnie started pouting when she realized she had nothing to say back to that. "I'm still rooting for Ash!" This caused Clemont to sweatdrop and Ash and Serena laughed.

"So Ash, do you think they'll catch that thief?" Serena looked over to Ash.

Ash in his childish way smiled, "Yeah of course they will! No one could get away with something like that. It just makes me so mad that someone would steal something so important to all of us," he said curling up his fists for emphasis. "Whatever is going on mom and Professor Oak seem really worried."

* * *

><p>The man sat on the edge of the bed trying to remember something. Anything. It didn't matter how much time he sat thinking to himself, he couldn't remember who he was.<p>

The nice woman who took him in was out searching to see if anyone knew him, as she had been with no success so far. The news had been on all day today and yesterday but there was no mention of a missing man. Maybe he had no family or friends at all. He didn't know why, but the thought didn't scare or surprise him. It almost as if it was true.

Maybe he should have kept the strange stone in his overcoat pocket. No, it was the only thing he could have given that girl as thanks. What had she called it? A Mega Stone I believe was the name. The term sounded all too familiar…

"Sir, you wouldn't believe it! I found someone who might know you. The man's attention was drawn to the door where the nice woman who had helped him walked in. "Is okay if I let him in?" He nodded his approval.

The man who stood in the doorway was just tall enough to miss bumping his head against the top of the door frame. The tall man's hair reminded the man in the brown overcoat of red flames reaching out to burn you. He wore a black jacket with white fur lining the area where it stopped around his neck. A line of red went up his jacket in the middle and split ways when it reached where the fur was. A red cloth that resembled a scarf of sorts fell over the fur lining the man's neck. His pants were very similar to his jacket with the red lining and overall the same black color.

"Hello my friend. Do you remember me?" The stranger's voice was deep and loud.

The smaller man shook his head frowning. "Sorry to say I can't remember anything."

The taller man frowned unhappily, "Well that's unfortunate. I'm sure I can help with that. Your name is Looker. Seeing that you don't remember me, my name is Lysandre. We were really good friends before this all happened."

"Good to know. I was starting to fear that I didn't have any friends." He still didn't have any friends. Whoever this man was, he wasn't here to help him. He could see it in the way the man stood and the way he looked at him. Something wasn't right…

* * *

><p>Somewhere in Snowbelle City a young girl about sixteen sat on a bench in the freezing cold. It was the cold part of Kalos, but she was safest here. Her brother knew how much she hated the cold and wouldn't look for her here. At least that's what she hoped.<p>

With all eyes on the other side of the region where the last piece of the Origin Stone was, she would be able to find this pokemon paradise she had heard so much about. She could remember her brother telling stories about it. He said the pokemon were very happy there. He said it would be that way with all pokemon if humans...

No! She wouldn't think of Zero. She wasn't that girl anymore. She would do what she had to do to finish her job. Only one more piece was needed and all eyes were ready for her to make her move. If she messed up because she was dreaming of the past it would be devastating.

All the parts were set into place. Now, timing was the key to success, well, and a whole bunch of other things. She just had to hope the memories of that International Police dude and the Rocket agent stayed empty.

Even if they did remember, there wasn't much anyone could do. Not like they could search for someone who had no identity. Not like they could catch someone like her. It doesn't matter how many Rocket or Flare members are sent after her, she'll always one step ahead of them.

Besides, the memories of those two were important, and the risk had been worth it. If it hadn't been for the man Looker, she wouldn't have been able to find out where the last piece was being sent. Unfortunately, it was being sent exactly where she hoped it wouldn't be: Lumiose City.

One of the nicer cities for sure, but not in this case. Team Flare rested at the heart of the city. Even if those idiots weren't there, it was just too easy to be caught. Too many people, and the more people the greater the chance that you run into someone you know.

If it weren't for the Rocket, she wouldn't have been able to send her little message. She just hoped the old man received it. Before she "left" home, she had heard his name before. It rang like a bell in her head waiting to be answered. She knew the man knew something about what she was looking for, and it was only a matter of luring him in.

She stood and started walking towards a Pokemon Gym. She wasn't one to win badges, but one day when things were right again she would have a pokemon. She would battle like other kids her age started doing six years ago.

She just hoped that day would come when she wouldn't just be "different." She hated being called that. It was what had scared her so much. If she ever found what she was looking for, things would change. She would be "different" but in a good way.

Those were thoughts for a different day. For now, she was what she was. She shoved her hands in pocket and walked through the doors in front of her.

The air was still cold in the gym. Everything about this place reminded her of her brother, and she didn't like it all. Her hand reached up to pull her hat off, letting her long, brown hair escape.

"I'm here to battle the gym leader." A large man came forward. His hair was gray, including his mustache. He had a large coat draped over his shoulder, making him look like he was wearing a cape. The only other clothing he had on was a white tank top and black pants. This man was on the edge of crazy.

When he came close enough to touch and the other puny man had left, the small girl reached out and touched him interrupting whatever strange stuff he had been blabbering about. She searched through his memories, the only way she knew how. She didn't like doing it. Matter of fact, she was never supposed to use her powers at home. Here, she had to do it.

The memory she had found was of the trail to the Pokemon Village. There she could get tears from the pokemon. It would be enough to heal anyone of anything.

_"There are two types of pokemon tears. Ones that come from sadness, anger, and fear are not filled with the magic pokemon possess. The ones filled with happiness, love, and hope are special. The have a special quality that can heal almost anything. There are now illegal because of humans not knowing the truth behind pokemon tears." _Her brother's story replayed in her head over and over. She just hoped it wasn't just a story.

"Who are you?" The gym leader looked up from the ground. The girl shrugged at the man. "You can call me Vee. Just don't forget it."

* * *

><p><strong>Hello! I guess if you made it this far that means you read the first chapter of my first fan fiction story. Thank you very much for that. I may not be able to update this story as much as I would like to. School makes things very complicated. Besides I wouldn't want to give you anything less than my best because I was rushing to finish the story. Anyway, please review. Criticism is always welcome. <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**I have no right to the Pokemon franchise. I do own a few characters from this story.**

**The Other Side**

**Chapter 2**

"Zorua come back!" Vee yelled with enthusiasm as she took off through the endless rows of colorful flowers.

She hadn't had felt so free in a long time. Her long, brown hair was braided back with flowers popping out for decoration. She had long ago abandoned her shoes so her feet could touch the soft dirt. Her muscular legs could be seen because of the jean shorts she was now wearing.

The tiny, violet bag that hung from her belt swung back and forth as she ran. That was something Vee wouldn't let out of her sight. She could hear each and every individual piece of the Origin Stone bouncing around as she ran.

Zorua stopped to glance back at the strange human. She had never seen one up close and curiosity had gotten the best of her. The human was very pretty and interesting.

The Pokemon Village had become more exciting with the amount of endless games she had brought with her. Right now they were playing a game called "tag."

The human had been it for some time now. The black tank top with the purple that lined the straps clung to the human's side making it easy to see she needed a minute to catch her breath. The red bandana she wore around her neck picked up the drops of sweat that rolled down her neck.

She was just too slow to catch any of the pokemon. Zorua believed she could walk circles around her and she still wouldn't be able to catch her. The thought made zorua snicker.

"I'm too tired to play this game anymore. I know this is your favorite game, but can we take a break?" The girl said this as she collapsed to the ground in front of the little black pokemon. Zorua nodded its head and ran off to tell the other pokemon who were playing.

Vee slowly sat up. She really should have left the Pokemon Village three day ago, but her friend hadn't shown up yet.

Getting the pokemon tears was very simple. Zorua and the other pokemon willingly agreed to give them to her. After about ten minutes of trying to get them to laugh, there was success.

Vee really had nothing to worry about. She knew her new friend would be fine and she would see him soon. The pokemon tears were in her possession and so were five pieces of the Origin Stone. What could possibly go wrong?

A smile appeared on her face. She couldn't really say she minded the small change of plans. Right now, she could be the girl she wanted to, even if it was only in her head. Here she wouldn't have to be a monster or have to make sacrifices. She could be herself here.

The peace was suddenly taken away. She could feel his powerful presence giving her a headache. Pokemon ran off to hide and the winds picked up. He was here.

She walked over to the nearby lake to pick up the pokemon tears that sat in a small container next to her winter clothes. The tears were shoved in her jean's pocket.

"_No more than a drop. More than that could be life threatening."_ Vee's eyebrows raised at the rule. How long did she have to wait between drops?

The presence suddenly grew stronger as if telling her to hurry up. Her friend was being _very_ impatient. Every man should know to _never_ rush a girl. It was one of the rules that made the top three. The first rule, in case you were wondering, is to _never _tell a girl to chill. Especially at that special… you know...

Vee looked at her reflection in the lake to see if her appearance was acceptable. Never had she seen herself look so happy. Her eyes sparkled and the corners of her mouth curved up. She was smiling. She was smiling, but she was covered in dirt.

Shrugging, she figured her friend would have to deal with it. Vee liked this part of herself. Maybe one day it would be her everyday self.

* * *

><p>Vee traced the presence back to a cave at the corner of the Pokemon Village. All of the pokemon seemed to have disappeared from sight at this point. She slowly peeked in through the cave's entrance.<p>

"Hello?" The word echoed off the walls of the cave sending shivers down her spine.

The cave was cold and dark. Just the type of place her friend would like. His shadow could be seen at the back of the cave. He slowly walked forward on his two legs until he stood in a patch of sunlight.

The pokemon was overall gray, with a long purple tail. On his head were two blunt horns. Connecting his head and back was what looked to be a tube of sorts. If he were to extend his paw, you would see three padded "fingers."

"Good to see you made it here safely," the creature said his voice echoing off the cave walls.

Vee had been glued to her spot at the front of the cave, afraid to move at all. She knew there was nothing to be afraid of. This pokemon was her friend, not her enemy. She just was bracing herself for the splitting headache she would have in a minute.

"I trust everything went smoothly," he said his violet eyes resting upon Vee.

She saw the memories flash before her eyes. Everything that had happened over the past few days Mewtwo could see. When he saw everything he needed to, he released her mind from his grip, letting her fall to the cold floor.

The pain spread through her head like fire with no mercy. It left her laying on the ground clutching her head. The feeling of her fingernails digging into her skull hurt, but anything was better than the feeling of a knife in her head.

Mewtwo always had a strange presence emitting from him. It wormed its way into her head and left her with a painful headache.

The only time she had found her way into his memories, it was by accident. She touched him and saw memories flash before eyes. They all went by too fast for Vee to actually see anything. At the very end she felt like she ran full force into a brick wall.

Ever since then there has only been one rule between her and Mewtwo: no touching. So, Vee tried to distance herself as much as she could.

It didn't matter because whenever she was close to Mewtwo, she felt the feeling of a blocked memory following her around. The pain stayed in head, and she just wanted it to go away.

"You realize you can just ask right?" Vee forced the words out of the back of her throat.

She wouldn't let Mewtwo silence her. Words were her most valuable possession. Words were her _chance_.

"I did everything you asked of me. So, will you tell me what was in the letter now?" Black spots appeared in the corner of her vision. Vee released the grip on her head and made herself stand on her two wobbly legs.

"I don't mean to cause you so much pain. It just works faster this way. Besides, you said you had nothing to hide. What are the pokemon tears for? I hadn't asked you for those."

Vee knew Mewtwo knew exactly why. He just wanted to hear her say it.

"So I won't have to deal with the horrible headaches that come after our minds clash." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small container. She pried off the lid and let a tiny drop fall into her mouth. It was seconds after she swallowed the tear that she felt relief. Just like her brother's story.

"That's better!" Vee said sounding relieved.

"So, you are allowed to see my memories, but I'm not allowed to see yours. Doesn't seem fair to me. Especially when it seems you are hiding secrets."

Mewtwo's tail suddenly flicked in annoyance. His eyebrows drew together, and the corners of his mouth pointed down.

"When you become strong enough, you'll be able to break into my mind without any issue. Right now, we have others issues. Someone followed you here."

Vee's silver eyes looked to the entrance. Who could have followed her here? She had been here for three days. If someone had followed her three days ago, they could have been watching her all this time.

"Don't move." Mewtwo stepped forward, "It's the gym leader. He just arrived."

Vee let out a sigh of relief. That silly man didn't remember her and made visits here all the time.

"Come out!" The gym leader's voiced could be heard in the cave from the other side of the Pokemon Village, "I know you're here Vee!"

"I thought you were supposed to take care of him." Mewtwo whispered to the young girl now standing next to him.

"I did. I erased every memory he had of me," Vee said her voice barely escaping her throat.

"Memories can't be erased, only locked away. It seems your confusion has cost us." Mewtwo flew out of the cave and landed in front of the startled gym leader. He reached into the man's memory and did what Vee should have done the first time. Mewtwo locked away the man's memory of Vee and himself.

The gym leader collapsed in front of Mewtwo unconscious. The pokemon reached down into the man's pocket and pulled out a badge shaped like a snowflake.

"The Iceberg Badge," a tiny voice said from behind the pokemon.

"It seems we have not trained your powers enough," said Mewtwo, "If the gym leader's memory loss was only temporary, then one can only imagine the disaster that would happen if the other two…"

Mewtwo turned to face the girl, whose silver eyes were directed at the ground. "It doesn't matter. We are almost done anyway. We'll have more time to train when this is all over. It's my own fault for not being aware of our weaknesses. Just be careful, Vee."

Surprise was the only emotion that could be seen on the girl's face. She had expected a scolding of sorts, not that. Another chance is a gift you should always treasure.

"I will." Vee whispered to the psychic pokemon standing in front of her.

Mewtwo handed Vee the badge he had taken out of Wulfric's pocket. Vee reached her hand out to grab, skillfully avoiding any physical contact with Mewtwo.

"In order to get to Mt. Silver, you will need sixteen badges from trainers certified by the Pokemon League. Get them whatever way is easiest for you."

"Couldn't we just get past the security guards the old-fashioned way?" Vee questioned raising an eyebrow.

"The security is very tight there. The last time a trainer went up there, he never came back down." Mewtwo responded in a monotone voice.

It seemed strange to Vee. Why would Mewtwo not just blow away the guards with his psychic powers? He certainly was powerful enough to do so.

"Zorrrrrrruaaaaa!" The little pokemon ran and jumped in front of Vee interupting her thoughts. Zorua had taken a battle stance and was ready to fight off any danger. She jumped forward only to find that she being held in midair.

Mewtwo raised an eyebrow. "Friend of yours?" Vee looked toward the direction where zorua had come from. There all the pokemon were watching the events that were taking place. "All of them are," Vee whispered.

Mewtwo used psychic to lower the squirming pokemon into the young girl's arms. "It's okay zorua. We're all friends here." Zorua stopped squirming.

"_He hurt Wulrfric!" _Vee glanced over to the gym leader.

"He's just fine. I promise. Now, zorua we're leaving now. We won't bother you and your friends again."

"_You'll never come back? Not even to visit!"_ Zorua said looking confused.

Vee shook her head and said, "We won't come back. Not even to visit."

"_I don't want you to leave Vee."_ The pokemon's eyes watered at the thought of never seeing her friend again. She told stories of the outside world and what is was like. Zorua understood why she would want to leave the peaceful pokemon paradise.

"_Maybe I can come with you!" _Hope sprouted in the pokemon's eyes.

Vee just shrugged. "I guess you can come if you want to. You won't have to be in a pokeball because, well, I don't have any. I wouldn't mind someone to talk to." Zorua jumped into Vee's arms.

"_Okay! From now on we are partners!" _Zorua cheered.

Vee cheered with zorua and looked over to where Mewtwo had been standing. It was very typical behaviour. Mewtwo would have already left. It was kinda disappointing because she never was able to ask him what took him so long to arrive at the Pokemon Village.

"_Can I have a cool nickname too? I mean Vee can't be your real name can it?" _Vee flinched at the second question. Of course it wasn't her real name, but she wouldn't be called by her old name anymore. The entire question irritated her, but she made sure not to let zorua catch on.

"Sure, you can have a nickname. What do you want to be called?" Zorua ran towards the Winding Woods.

"_You come up with it!" _Zorua's voice became very faint as she ran off playfully looking over her shoulder as she yelled to Vee.

Vee smiled as Zorua disappeared into the forest. A name for the energetic little pokemon? Challenge accepted.

Vee remembered reading a book about a girl whose best friend was a dark type pokemon. They fought off dragons and saved the world. They always described the girl's pokemon to be like a shadow with jewels for eyes. The pokemon's name was Gwenivere.

"Zorua! How about Gwen?" Vee yelled following the path she thought the pokemon had taken.

The little pokemon hopped out of a bush scaring Vee, "_I like it. Doesn't mean I'll let you beat me out of here."_

Zorua suddenly took off laughing. Vee couldn't help but smile at her new travelling companion.

A psychic type partnering up with a dark type. One might call it an interesting combination.

"Gwen! Wait up!" Vee screamed and chased after her new friend.

* * *

><p>Giovanni stood at the top of the volcano known as Cinnabar Island watching the sea. The place was so quiet and calm. The only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of the sea, his breathing, and once in a while the occasional flying type pokemon. The peace only made his grip on the letter in his hand tighten.<p>

He avoided touching it for several days by locking it in the bottom drawer of his desk. The envelope of the letter had his name written on it, in handwriting that was all too familiar. Everyday he would unlock the drawer and pull the letter out, only too shove it back. Giovanni told himself it was for the best, but he needed to know. So, instead of letting it haunt him, he read it.

**Dear Giovanni,**

**I believe it has been a very long time. I know you might decide to ignore me or not trust me, which is perfectly reasonable considering the circumstances. I know I said I would never bother you again, but this is something that will affect you.**

**If you decide you want to talk, meet me at Cinnabar Island at tea time. I'll be there everyday this week. Don't bring anyone with you, unless you'd trust them with your life. **

**- Kaida **

He was correct about the author. Kaida was the one in charge of this mess. Now she needed his help with something.

Giovanni brought his arm up from where he had been holding it to his pokeball to look at his watch. Kaida was late to their "meeting" if you can call it that.

There was something about the island that felt strange. Kaida chose this place for a reason, he knew that much, but it felt as if something big had taken place here. Something bigger than a volcano erupting. Whatever it was, it was something he didn't know about.

"I thought I said not to bring anyone with you," said a voice from behind Giovanni.

The older man quickly spun around to see the same thin, but strong, girl he had been waiting for. Her red hair falling against her back stopped just above her waist, where her skinny jeans started to cover her lower half. She wore a red jacket with just a plain white t-shirt underneath. A small fragment of what looked to be a colorful diamond hung from her neck. Her brown boots clicked as she walked towards the Rocket leader with her hand on her hip.

"I didn't bring anyone. You must be mistaken," Giovanni said his grip on his pokeballs growing stronger. He wasn't letting his guard down on her.

"What about your pokemon," Kaida said pointing to the man's waist where six pokeballs sat on his belt.

Giovanni laughed, "You count pokemon as an anyone? I'm afraid you and I both know my opinion on pokemon. Nothing more than stupid creatures who do my bid. If you are going to count them as an anyone though, you could say I trust them with my life."

"I didn't think you would trust anyone with your life. It seems you always prefer to have it safe in your own hands. Even more surprising, you decide to put it in the hands of 'stupid creatures'? You are a very strange man, Giovanni," said the young girl with a smile spreading across her face.

"These 'stupid creatures' will listen to me if it comes down to my life. Besides, I wasn't going to come defenseless." Giovanni loosened his grip on his pokeball. She certainly wasn't here to fight him. At least not yet.

He noticed how much older the girl had gotten from the last time he saw her. She must've been in her late twenties now, or she may have been thirty. It was hard to tell because she looked so young and radiant. How long had it been?

An even bigger question: why did he care? He hated the girl. She had created plenty of problems the last time they met. So why did it matter to him? Why did he even show up to meet her here?

The talking stopped for a few minutes. Kaida turned her back to Giovanni, so she was now facing the waves. The wind blew her long, red hair so it looked like fire spreading. Her violet eyes would turn to look back at her old acquaintance every few minutes.

Part of Giovanni understood why his son fell for her. There was no reason not to like the ambitious girl that stood before him. He just wished the boy had known better, or maybe the entire incident was his own fault.

"Do you feel that?" The girl's voice escaped from the back of her throat, just barely audible.

"Feel what exactly?" Giovanni noticed her fangs that he could see only when she opened her mouth. He had to keep reminding himself he hadn't done this to her. The person that had done this to her had much more power than he was. The person he had least expected to be behind it all…

"I'm not exactly sure. Maybe it's the sea or the sky. Something more powerful than both of us. It's angry for us messing with the way things are."

Giovanni frowned at her words. He had no idea what the foolish girl was talking about. The thought that she had called him strange earlier made him want to laugh.

"I don't exactly know what you are referring to." He said to fill the awkward silence, but it only made things more awkward when she didn't say anything in response.

Kaida turned back to face the Rocket leader after a couple minutes, "I guess you came here to find out about the Origin Stone. I figured you'd want to know."

Giovanni nodded his head. Yes, that was what he came here for. The answer to the disappearance of the Origin Stone.

"I know of the young girl. Her name is Violet. She is like me, but a psychic type instead of dragon. I'm afraid she is under the watch of Team Flare and the International Police. I believe the Pokemon G-Men have taken an interest in her too."

Giovanni knew there had been no psychic type last time. This meant only one thing to him. A chance to rid himself of the woman at the top of totem pole. The girl in front of him would be happy to help him with that.

"There's too much attention on her. I want to make sure she gets to Mt. Silver safely." Kaida's voice grew softer as she spoke.

"What exactly does she hope to accomplish on Mt. Silver?" Giovanni had collected sixteen badges, and was allowed to head to the top of the mountain. He had never tried, but knew of someone who had. The trainer was stronger than him, even defeated the Pokemon League. That trainer never came back down from the mountain.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I want her to be happy. If you help her accomplish her goal, I'll help you gain the other half of Team Rocket. The stronger half of Team Rocket."

Giovanni thought of this. If she was telling the truth, he'd gain everything he needed to accomplish his goals. Kaida and Violet would both get what they wanted.

He did have doubts though. What did the little girl want? What was her goal and how would it affect Team Rocket? There was only one way to find out, and that would be to ask her himself.

"I'll do it, but I want a little more," Giovanni said sternly.

"What would that be exactly?" Kaida inquired.

"I want the girl to take over Team Rocket when I'm ready to retire. It is her right to inherit the organisation."

Kaida frowned, "I guess it would be alright."

"It's a deal then. I'll help your daughter in return you help me rid my greatest enemy," Giovanni reached his hand out and waited for the girl to take it. She did.

Giovanni turned to walk away. Ash was still scattered along the ground from when the volcano erupted last. He was still surprised at how vacant the island was.

"Thank you." The words came out as a kind of whimper. Giovanni turned to see Kaida still standing there. Tears rolled down her cheek and fell to the ground. He noticed that they sparkled, and wasn't sure if it was because of light or the tear itself.

"_Just keep walking_," he thought to himself. That was exactly what he did.

He truly ripped the girl off. He felt that what he was getting was too much considering the work he was doing, and what she was getting in return. She was the one who had come up with the deal.

A little ball of suspicion appeared in his mind. This was more than a little motherly love quest. It wasn't like Kaida to think of protecting someone over herself, even if it was her own daughter. She was the one in real danger. Kaida really wanted _revenge_.

Whatever she had up her sleeve, he'd have something to fight her back with. He was the only protecting her from being sent back to the ones who gave her her "gift."

This was only business after all, and she was a danger to everything he had created. If it came to it, he'd have to be rid of her one way or another. What did he have to lose?

* * *

><p>A man with pale skin and hair as white as snow could be seen walking with a large crowd of people. Cars were everywhere, honking their horns when someone got in their way. Humans were so reckless and angry in the city.<p>

He turned off the main street that encircled Lumiose City and headed down Estival Avenue. Many stores lined the streets welcoming in customers. The sounds of people's voices could be heard over everything else. They talked of anything that popped into their minds.

The man just walked forward, people staring at his all black clothing. A stripe of light blue ran down his back. He wore gloves that covered his hands completely.

A moment later, he reached Centrico Plaza where Prism Tower looked over the city. It was just like he had been told. The large wonder of the city has a pokemon gym inside, but there were more floors above it.

He rushed into the gym, taking his gloves off and blowing away whatever trainer had been standing there with his ice powers. The ice soon covered all the entrances around the gym's bottom floor.

The man took the elevator to the roof and froze the robot gym leader that had been waiting for a challenger. Slowly, he headed to the next floor.

"Not so fast Zero!"

Zero turned around to see a man a few years younger than him. He had blonde hair that stuck straight up in the air and fierce blue eyes. He wore a Team Flare uniform.

"How did you get in here?" Zero's own blue eyes grew fierce at the sight of Ace.

"It wasn't too hard. Just followed the trail of ice you left at the gym and my common sense." Ace explained smirking.

"Interesting. I didn't think you had any common sense, hothead. Our leader isn't too happy that you ran away with your little girlfriend. Where is she now anyway?" Zero said with his own smirk.

"That's cold. She just didn't agree with me, but that's okay. Vee has done a lot of good things for Team Flare, and she doesn't even realize it. I don't understand. You'd think you and her would be on board for this beautiful world idea. With all the other people gone, we'd been free to be who we are. We wouldn't be experiments or soldiers. We'd be _us_. Don't you want that Zero? Aren't you sick of hiding?"

Zero let the words sink in. In a way he was right. It would be sweet revenge to sweep them off the face of the earth, but that's so many people just gone. Most of them were innocent and didn't deserve it, but sooner or later they could become malicious.

So where do you draw the line? Murder was wrong, whether it was one person or millions. It wasn't his or Ace's place to take life away. At least that's what he would believe for now.

Zero, instead of responding, turned towards the stairwell and ran, hoping he could get the last piece of the Origin Stone, but fell to the ground when he felt the burn of the merciless flames appear in front of him. He tried to stand up but felt the pain of the burns all over his body and slowly fell to his knees.

A female pyroar walked gracefully down the steps after her master, Malva of the Elite Four. When she stood in front of Zero, she raised her foot and pushed Zero back to the ground with the bottom of her heel. Zero laid on the ground and Malva planted her foot on his chest.

"Were you the reason the International Police knew of us? That poor man is in ruins now because of you. How easy everything could have been, with the stone being protected by the Elite Four, but you had to meddle."

Zero didn't know what she was talking about. His vision was growing blurry and he felt that he might pass out any minute. That flamethrower had been very powerful. Exactly what he should expect of a member of the Elite Four.

Malva pulled out the last piece of the stone, "So close to it, but you can't do anything now."

Before Zero's vision went black he heard Malva say:

"You shouldn't have messed with us."

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sorry it took so long to update. I really did hope to have this done sooner. I went back and edited the first chapter, but it hasn't been updated with the changes yet. It's nothing major to the plot so you don't need to go back and reread. <strong>

**Thank you to my first to reviewers (a guest and Farla) and everyone who has read this story so far. I love hearing from the reader so** _**please**_ **comment.**

**Hope to update again soon. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I have no right to the Pokemon franchise. I do own a few characters from this story.**

**The Other Side**

**Chapter 3**

Kaida had long ago made her way through the maze of crystals that made up Cerulean Cave. All she could hear was the constant sound of water drops falling from the ceiling. Others she hoped she had just imagined.

The cave was very dark, but with the help of a flashlight, Kaida had made it through with no problem. The light reflected off the crystals surrounding her, causing the faint glow of her flashlight to cover the entire cave. It only made the cave creepier, but at least she could see now.

Kaida wasn't a huge fan of the cold, but that wasn't why she was shivering. The red-head may never admit it, but she was afraid of the creature she had acquaintanced herself with. Kaida wasn't entirely sure why she was afraid. Maybe it was because the pokemon could see her thoughts if it was his desire to.

Guilt found its way into the dragon type's heart. Everything she is doing is for the better, right? No, she wasn't doing anything wrong. She wasn't doing anything wrong…

"_Are you okay Master?"_ The pokemon beside her suddenly rubbed his head against her leg. The white pokemon's eyes filled with concern for his trainer. A sharp, black horn that was connected to the pokemon's head faced away from Kaida in case anyone decided to attack them.

"Absol, I'm fine. I was just… thinking." Kaida looked away so the dark type couldn't look into her eyes. She wasn't sure if he would see anything anyway. The rumor is that dark types don't have souls, but she wasn't sure if she herself did either.

Absol noticed his trainer's insecurity and decided not to ask anymore questions about her well being. Instead, he thought of the psychic type pokemon he'd be defending his trainer against.

"_I hope this pokemon isn't as tough as you say it is Master." _Absol grew nervous and hoped the meeting didn't become a battle. His trainer didn't seem to be worried about battling at all.

"I wouldn't worry about battling Mewtwo. You are here just to make sure he doesn't break into my head." Kaida said her voice shaking a little with each word.

Suddenly a breeze blew both human and pokemon backwards. Kaida quickly stood back up to see Mewtwo standing a few feet away from her. Her hand shot up to her head so her fingers could comb through her hair. She stood straighter and looked Mewtwo in the eye.

"Mewtwo I didn't know you planned on being here so early." Kaida said trying to keep her voice strong. Mewtwo didn't seem to notice Kaida's attempt to hide the shaking in her voice. Either that, or he just didn't care enough to mention it.

"Your daughter is doing a good job. She has five pieces of the Origin Stone and one gym badge in her possession the last time I saw her. She is making progress in her abilities." Mewtwo looked away from Kaida when he said this.

"What do you mean 'making progress'?" Kaida said with a steadier voice ignoring everything else Mewtwo had said.

Mewtwo turned his head back to face Kaida. His violet eyes were filled with a sadness that filled Kaida with nervousness. She couldn't understand Mewtwo's expression.

"She hasn't been too successful with memories, but any mistakes she made shouldn't cost us anything at this point. It seems to me she doesn't want to use her powers. A consequence, you could say, that comes with never using your abilities until you are sixteen. I know she has a potential to be very powerful, more powerful than me if I dare venture there, but I fear she is still a bit afraid to use her abilities. Vee does happen to be a natural at stealing though. It's as though it runs in her blood."

Kaida couldn't help but snicker at that statement. Mewtwo had no idea about how spot on he was about Vee's bloodline. Being a thief ran in the family.

"As long as she is able to collect the last piece of the Origin Stone and get to Mt. Silver. When she gets the last piece her work is done. After all of this over you can have her."

Mewtwo remembered the deal he and Kaida had made before he met Vee. The thought that a human could have the powers of a pokemon intrigued him. A pokemon being made was as strange as a human being born with the powers of a pokemon, at least in his opinion.

"_If you help me, I'll destroy him, unless you want to do the honors." _Mewtwo quickly shook the thought out of his head. He knew that not every human was evil, but some were. Some humans could strike fear into anyone's heart because of how merciless they were. They didn't care about what they destroyed as long as they got what they wanted.

If he helped Kaida, those humans would get what they deserved, at least according to her. Also, Vee would be safe. That was really all he wanted.

He didn't plan on caring for the little girl, but plans change. She reminded him of someone, but he couldn't remember…

"Are you okay?" Mewtwo's thoughts were suddenly interrupted.

"I'm okay. What was in that letter you wanted her to plant on the Rockets?" Mewtwo said to quickly change the subject.

"A little note to our old friend telling him to meet me at Cinnabar Island. He really doesn't remember you, or at least he didn't say anything about Team Rocket's work on Cinnabar Island. Anyone could tell something about the place made him nervous, or at least I could," Kaida said smirking.

"I hope this note has nothing to do with Vee." Mewtwo immediately wished he could take the words back.

Kaida stood silent for a few minutes. An anger arose in her, but she kept the fire in her dragon heart contained. Vee only cared about being someone else. An idea that someone had pushed into her head so often, the young girl couldn't help but agree it would be better if she wasn't herself. It started off as agreeing, then dreaming, then wishing, until finally she needed a chance to grab her desire. An agreement turns to greed in the blink of an eye.

Where there is greed, there is no love. If only Mewtwo could realize who was on his side. _She_ was on his side. _She_ was his friend, and _she_ would make things better. It was only a matter of time before she turned the tables.

* * *

><p>Vee sat in the Pokemon Center on North Boulevard in Lumiose City. Gwen, a zorua, sat on the table eating pokemon food that was generously given to them by Nurse Joy. The pokemon hospital wasn't very busy today. There was only one other person who sat on the other side of the Pokemon Center with her back facing Vee.<p>

"_Are you going to eat anything?" _Zorua said as she finished the remainder of her lunch.

"I'm actually not very hungry. Do you want more food?" Vee said as a group of trainers walked in.

Vee's full attention was now on them as they walked up to the front counter and started talking to Nurse Joy about their pokemon. After they gave their great number of pokeballs to the overwhelmed Nurse Joy, the group of trainers went to sit down at a table.

Gwen noticed Vee's staring and tapped her with her paw. Vee ignored the zorua as she continually tapped her shoulder. After about a minute, Gwen opened her mouth and bit down on Vee with her sharp fangs.

"Ow!" Vee's yell directed everyone's attention to her and Gwen. The trainers looked up from whatever they were talking about and stared. The girl at the other side of the center gave Vee and Gwen an annoyed glare.

"Are you okay?" Nurse Joy voiced out with concern. She stared at the pair curiously like the rest of the trainers.

"I'm perfectly fine. Thank you!" Vee said through gritted teeth. Her eyes were trained on Gwen as she gave Vee a guilty look.

"_I'm sorry, but it's rude to stare," _Gwen said as if she were perfectly innocent.

"You know what else is rude? Biting people in the arm for no good reason!" Vee said in a frustrated whisper to Gwen.

"_I believe it was a go-"_

"No, it wasn't," Vee said cutting off Gwen.

"_Why were you staring at them?"_ Gwen said not letting the topic change.

"There's something different about them. I can _feel _it," Vee said turning her head back to the strange group of trainers.

There were four trainers sitting at the table. The first one wore a blue jumpsuit with yellow stripes towards the the bottom. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. Vee immediately recognized him as the Lumiose gym leader.

Vee studied the gym leader. He couldn't have been the one giving off the strange aura.

"_What do you feel exactly?" _Gwen continued curiously.

"It's hard to explain," Vee said surprised the pokemon didn't know what she was talking about. Most pokemon knew what she was talking about from experience. How old was Gwen anyway? How long had she lived in the Pokemon Village?

It's possible she never saw any other human before her and Wulfric. That's why she didn't know of the strange aura some humans emitted.

"_What does it feel like?" _Gwen inquired

"It depends on the person," Vee said. Her attention still wasn't entirely on her friend's question.

"_I think I feel it when I'm with you Vee," _Zorua whispered.

"I'm sure you do Gwen."

One of the other "trainers" looked very young to be a pokemon trainer. She wore a brown shirt with a bow at the top, which was tucked into a white skirt with leggings underneath. The little girl had blonde hair and eyes similar to Clemont.

Sitting next to the little girl was an older female trainer. She had a honey haircolor and blue eyes. She wore a high-waisted outfit that was red and black. A pink hat with a black bow rested at the top of her head.

The last trainer seemed to be the most energetic of the four. He wore jeans and a blue jacket with white stripes. His hat was ret and had a white curved line on it, which reminded Vee of the top half of a pokeball. The trainer pulled out a set of badges.

"Ash, Serena, and Clemont! Your pokemon are ready," Nurse Joy yelled out to the group of trainers.

Vee watched as all four of them got up and walked to the front of the Pokemon Center, leaving their belongings behind. The badge case sat a few feet away from Vee, and the temptation was too much for her.

Her eyes shifted to where the trainers stood talking to Nurse Joy and grabbing their pokemon. Only two of them were out of their a pokeballs.

Seeing that nobody was looking, Vee quickly stood up and ran over to the table where the trainers were sitting. She snatched the badge case up and attempted to run out the door, but a pikachu jumped in front of her and launched an attack. Before the thunderbolt attack could hit Vee, a dark pulse was launched at the electricity, creating a small explosion.

Vee followed Gwen out of the Pokemon Center at full speed with the pikachu right behind them.

"Give me back my badges!" said the trainer who was also trailing them now. The other trainers had disappeared from sight.

"You have to catch me first!" Vee yelled back to the trainer, she guessed was Ash. If she was going to be chased she might as well have some fun with it.

Vee cut through the city and disappeared into a crowd of people. Ash and Pikachu stopped when they suddenly lost sight of the older girl and her zorua.

"Where did she go," Ash said frustrated. Pikachu ran forward into the endless amount of people. He was determined to help his friend get his badges back.

"Pikachu! Come Back!" Ash yelled as he lost sight of his pokemon.

Ash's hand went down to his belt when he had an idea. He'd have Fletchling fly above the city. It would be easier to spot Pikachu and the thieves from the air.

Ash couldn't feel any pokeballs on his belt, and he realized he had left them at the Pokemon Center. So, instead he started to push through the crowd, but a hand reached out and pulled him back.

"Ash! We were so worried," Serena said happy to see her friend safe. Clemont and Bonnie stood next to her.

"You left your pokeballs at the Pokemon Center," said Clemont suddenly looking confused, " Hey, where's Pikachu?"

* * *

><p>Vee and Gwen were pushed with the crowd until they were standing in front of the Prism Tower, which was easily the tallest building in all of Lumiose City. There were so many people standing around, as if waiting for something.<p>

Police were standing at the front of the crowd of people, telling them to calm down. Cameras flashed and news reporters stood here and there speaking of a certain events that had recently taken place at the center of the city.

Gwen suddenly sprinted forward, squeezing between people legs as she went along. "_Come on! We need to go!"_ Turning back, she realized Vee wasn't following.

Vee's eyes were fixed on something Gwen couldn't see. Beyond the bobbing heads and police was something Vee wasn't able to believe. She started pushing people to the side until she stood at the very front.

Sheets of ice started on the ground and made their way to the doors of the tower. The ice sealed the doors where men were hammering at it, but to no avail. The men couldn't break the ice that was spread over all four entrances to Prism Tower. The police had found other ways in though, and the news was already out.

A news reporter was questioning a trainer who was present during the events. The interview was happening only a few feet away from Vee and she could hear every word.

"A man with white hair was walking into the building as I was walking out and suddenly shot ice out of his hands! I've never seen anything like it!" The young trainer screamed out in response to the reporter's questions. He seemed more amazed than traumatized or scared.

Vee could only think of one thing and it filled her with happiness. If Zero was here, then he must remember. He had the last piece of the Origin Stone and set off to help her. It all seemed too good to be-

"_What are you doing?"_ Vee looked down at Gwen who seemed to be annoyed. Her black fur was covered in dirt and shot up in strange places. "_We have to go."_

"I can't. I need to find Zero." Vee whispered the words very softly. She wasn't sure if the zorua heard her, but it hardly mattered. Nothing at all mattered right now, except finding Zero.

"_Who's Zero?"_ Gwen's expression suddenly changed to confusion. "_And what does he have to do with any-"_

"Watch out!" A flamethrower was suddenly shot out of the sky at the hundreds of people standing below. A charizard swept down from the sky roaring fiercely. People started to scramble, going anywhere that was away from Prism Tower.

Vee started to push through the crowd as well, but realized she forgot Gwen and thought of the myriads of people stepping on and kicking the poor pokemon. "Gwen! Where are you Gwen?" Vee started to panic.

"Ouch!" A swift punch hit Vee in the jaw. Tears rolled down her face because of the surprise of the attack and her lost friend. Another scream escaped when a kick was delivered to her stomach.

She brought her hand to wipe her eyes so she could see her attacker. A boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, and he wore orange. Who was he? Ace?

"This will all be over soon sweetheart. I'm sorry," he said pushing Vee's head to the ground pulling out a vile, "At least this won't hurt you." Ace took the lid off the vile and held it up to Vee's nose.

Vee could still see the blur of people sprinting by them and the panicked creams, not as loud as before. Everything grew distorted and she felt lightheaded. Maybe she was in a dream…

"Chuuuuuu!" A bolt of electricity hit Vee and woke her up. She felt awake, but had a horrible headache. Her attacker had fallen backwards and hit his head in shock, giving Vee the few seconds she needed to stand on her own two feet, but was in too much pain to do anything else. The world spun around her, and as a result someone running by knocked her back to the ground.

Ace lifted his head to see a small yellow pokemon running towards the girl. His hand burst into flames and he launched the fire at Pikachu. The ball of fire hit Pikachu and he fell to the ground right beside Vee.

"Stupid pokemon…" Ace muttered under his breath as he walked towards the injured pair.

"Leave them alone!" A sudden voice was heard over the chaos going on around them. Four kids had determinedly pushed through the crowd to find Pikachu struggling to get up.

"Hey! Isn't that the girl who stole your badges, Ash?" Serena noticed the older brunette sitting on the ground next to Pikachu clutching her head in pain. Her sharp teeth were biting her lower lip.

"She stole your badges? Makes sense because she is a wanted criminal. You see I'm in the middle of-"

"Pikachuuuu!" Pikachu stood on wobbly legs, but acted as fierce as ever. Ash could tell by Pikachu's reaction this man wasn't innocent himself.

"Who are you?" Clemont asked with anger audible in his voice.

"It doesn't matter who I am. Just take your Pikachu and your badges and leave before you get hurt." Ace said noticing the area around the tower was getting dangerously empty. People had seen him and police would be here soon. He didn't have time for this.

Pikachu's cheeks sparked more electricity at Ace's comments. He surprised he was helping her, but the just part of him couldn't leave her, similar to how he felt about Team Rocket. Those three were always trying to capture Pikachu, but Ash and Pikachu still would help them if they felt they needed it.

Vee's head was now throbbing. The only sound she could hear was a constant thumping. It wouldn't stop and her vision was blurring. The strange feeling she had earlier at the Pokemon Center came back. What was it? Who was it?

"Ace…" The name fell off her lips. She could only see his blurred shape but knew it was him. Vee knew Ace like the back of her hand, if not better.

Ash reached for a pokeball on his belt, but his hand never reached it. Ace threw another ball of fire. Clemont and Bonnie were far away enough, but Ash had to tackle Serena to the ground to make sure she didn't get hit.

"Thanks," Serena said quietly while blushing. Ash didn't seem to hear the girl's word of appreciation. He picked his head up to see Ace approaching Vee and Pikachu, when they both disappeared.

"What?" The blonde couldn't believe his target had just vanished. Ace looked back at the group of trainers and ran off before anything else could happen. An additional amount of police cars had shown up and the amount of people there was lessening.

"Where did they go?" Bonnie looked around but couldn't see where the two could have disappeared to so fast.

* * *

><p>Looker had long ago arrived at the new and improved secret base of Team Flare. First, Lysandre had led him into the closed cafe, which he had a key to. Lysandre moved aside a piece of furniture that abutted the back wall.<p>

Looker couldn't help but feel he had been here before, yet he couldn't remember anything. The feeling of his gut told him something was wrong, but this man was all he had right now. If Looker didn't wait this out, he may never know what happened to him. He may never know who he is.

So, Looker let himself be led through the dark hallways and past people in uniforms he knew he had seen before. Lysandre and Looker took an elevator leading to another floor and eventually Looker found himself sitting in a chair in an old office.

"I'll be right back. Make yourself as comfortable as you can. Don't leave this room." Lysandre left the room with his statement.

Looker looked at his surroundings. The walls and floors, unlike the rest of this place, were gray. The table in front of him had several empty sheets of paper. The remainder of the room was full of bookcases. Every single of one them was filled to the brink with books, but only one book caught his attention.

The book must have fallen off the bookcase and onto the floor. Looker got up to pick up what looked like an observation journal. He figured it must have been recently used and fallen on the floor when someone carelessly and hurriedly put it back. Looker carefully opened up to the first page:

"Expansion Suit Field Trials

Secret Records: Volume 1

The XXth day of the XXth month… Posted an advertisement for part-time work at the Lysandre Cafe to recruit a test subject for the suit's field trials. The Expansion Suit should make even an average trainer into a superhuman force, a force to be reckoned with… It is the ultimate result of my life's study- my magnum opus. The trials must be a success! I wait on the appearance of a young, healthy, and ambitious test subject."

Looker eyed the page carefully. "Expansion Suit" was a term he knew. It was too familiar and it made his heart race, like something was happening. Something was _wrong_.

Looker noticed it was titled "Volume 1." Looker ripped out the page and stuffed it in one of the pockets of his coat. He began to search for Volume 2. There had to be a Volume 2 hopefully with some answers.

The man glanced over at the door. How much time did he have before Lysandre came back? There was no sound coming from outside the door that he could hear, but that didn't mean anything. Lysandre could pop in the room at any moment…

If the man truly was his friend, would he mind if Looker read a few of his books? A siren went off in the hallway, causing Looker to jump. He walked over to the door and attempted the turn the knob, but to no avail. Looker was locked in this office until Lysandre came back, and he had a strange feeling it would be a while.

* * *

><p>It only took Looker about half an hour to find the book the rest of the books. Volume 2 went like this:<p>

"Expansion Suit Field Trials

Secret Records: Volume 2

The XXth day of the XXth month… At long last, a response came to my advertisement for part-time work. The subject's name is Emma. She is a healthy girl, 16 years of age. When I attempted to explain the intent of my research, she gave little sign of understanding. She does appear to understand the passion I have put into the suit research, and she showed interest in continuing with the trials. Now that Team Flare has been disbanded, my funds are running severely low. I hired her on the spot. The trials must proceed with no time lost. First, I'll measure Emma's physical and mental abilities to ensure she can complete the trials.

The XXth day of the XXth month… I have customized the suit to better fit Emma's frame.

The XXth day of the XXth month… I have designated the code name Essentia to be used when Emma is wearing the Expansion Suit."

Looker's mind was scrambled. This was so familiar! He knew this girl… Emma? He just had to remember who she was…

Frantic voices passed by the door. The sound of feet hitting the floor at a rapid pace echoed down the hallway. They always walked past, but every time Looker threw what he holding to the ground and rushed back to his seat at the back of the office.

This time the door did open to the room Looker was in. Lysandre and another woman walked through the door looking exhausted. The woman had purple hair and a red suit similar to the other people he had seen wandering the halls on his way in. Her eyes couldn't be seen due to a strange pair of goggles that covered them.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting Looker. You see… we were having some… difficulties." Lysandre stopped to give a friendly smile before continuing, "This is Celosia, my new top scientist. She will be working with you." Lysandre gestured to the woman who stood beside him, who also gave him a friendly smile.

"So you don't remember anything at all?" The woman's voice was friendly, but far away from soft. The smile stayed plastered to her face as Looker explained his situation. "Do you ever feel something is familiar to you?" The woman asked another question.

Looker picked his head up. "What do you mean exactly?"

"Do you ever feel you know something or someone. Do you ever have a feeling something is familiar to you?" Celosia said trying her best to explain her question in a way it was understandable.

Looker looked from Celosia to Lysandre. He knew he needed to make a decision on whether he should trust them or not now. "I don't believe so," Looker responded, his eyes meeting Lysandre's. So, he decided not to trust them.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3 is done! I'm sorry it took so long! I've been really busy with school and sports. So, please review. If you loved it: review. If you hated it: review! Thanks for taking the time to read my story. <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**I have no right to the Pokemon franchise. I do own a few characters from this story.**

**The Other Side**

**Chapter 4**

Many scientists surrounded Looker in the cold and metallic room known as a laboratory. Many psychic pokemon had sat in front of him trying to work their magic, but to Celosia's observation, none of them could get through the brick wall that blocked everyone, including Looker, into his memory. It was good news to the scientists working under Lysandre's commands. Everyone knew what a threat the member of the International Police was to their organization. The memories couldn't be recovered by anyone, even with the amazing technology Team Flare had.

This, of course, was not good news for Looker. Seeing so many pokemon attempting to break into his memories and failing wasn't giving him any hope that this would ever get better. Besides all of psychic powers pounding against his brain were starting to give him a _huge _headache. All Looker wanted to do was read more of the observation journals in the office he was in earlier because he felt he could make more progress there than here.

Luckily for Looker, that's just where they brought him back to. Reading those observation journals made him feel close to knowing who he was. He was right on the brink of discovery. That name… Emma… it made his heart beat a little faster.

It was still very strange to him. Was it always that hard for a group of skilled scientists to retrieve a memory? Lysandre made it sound like an easy feat to do anything whenever he spoke of his scientists, so maybe his memories weren't entirely lost. It was just a lot of work, and _nothing_ is as easy as you originally think it will be.

Looker picked up Volume 3 from his stash and read:

"Expansion Suit Field Trials

Secret Records: Volume 3

The XXth day of the XXth month… As we make final preparations for the trials, a new trouble strikes. I have learned that Emma has no experience as a pokemon trainer! With little other choice, I am forced to instruct the girl on all the basics.

The XXth day of the XXth month… I have lent Emma my own pokemon and am instructing her on the skills needed in a pokemon trainer. However, my pokemon seem only to wish to play with the girl. They show no desire to engage in battle. Their behaviour is most puzzling. They have never shown signs of being particularly friendly nor reluctant to battle. Their playfulness is a detriment to the trails. I will have to control the suit remotely in order to have any chance of starting the trials in time."

Volume 3 ended like that. Looker put the book down with the other books and picked of Volume 4. Before he was able to open it, he heard another siren and an array of other noises erupt in the hallway. It was the third time Looker had heard the siren during his time here, wherever here was.

He continued to read as the sound of people in a hurry passed by the office:

"Expansion Suit Field Trials

Secret Records: Volume 4

The XXth day of the XXth month… Finally, the trials are underway. The first trial is designed to test the suit's physical capabilities. Using the texturing function, the subject has infiltrated the closely guarded art museum and left an insignia on a historic mural. The remote-control function has worked without complications thus far. Emma shows no ill effects from her time in the suit. Her memory is blank. When questioned, she describes her experiences as "taking a nap." Perhaps I will give her a bonus in celebration of this successful trial."

Looker's mind was asking questions. It seemed that was how his mind worked. Ask as many questions and see if you can answer them yourself. If not, you need to find out more.

Could the Expansion Suit have anything to do with his memory loss? One day he was being remote-controlled and all of a sudden something went wrong. It was completely possible. That would explain how he knew Emma. Maybe he worked on this project with her, or maybe he _wrote_ these journals. If he did write the journals, why were they here? Was this his old office?

"Expansion Suit Field Trials

Secret Records: Volume 5

The XXth day of the XXth month… Trials begin of a key part of the Expansion Suit: the hacking cable I've called the Pokeball Jack. With the texturing function enabled, the subject battles trainers around the city. She then collects the pokeballs from trainers she defeats, so that we may use them in our tests. The result of the tests have been quite favorable thus far. However, these trials have not been entirely free from incident. Some apparent acquaintance of Emma's are proving to be a hindrance to our progress. Among these acquaintances is a girl who appears to be the new Champion, but this is not yet confirmed. We encountered a glitch in the remote-control programming, and I lost control for a brief period. Fearing possible effects on Emma, I suspended the trials temporarily. When we returned to the secret base, I examined the girl for signs of damage, but she appeared to be unharmed. She still retains no memories from her intervals in the suit. The one thing she admitted was experiencing 'a frightful dream.'"

Looker went back and reread everything. There was no mention of the author's name. There was no mention of Looker's name. The only thing he knew was Emma's name, which wasn't very useful.

The mention of the Champion did interest him though… Was it possible he met the Champion of Kalos? Was the Champion described in Volume 5 even the Champion of Kalos, or was she from another region?

An idea suddenly popped into the man's head. He could test his writing v.s. the writing in the journal to see if he was the writer. Looker walked over to the table at the back of the room, noticing two pieces of paper and a pen.

First, he read a few words off the page, memorizing them and then closed the book he was holding. Quickly, Looker scribbled down the lines and opened back up to the page he was on. Comparing the writing, Looker noted that his handwriting was definitely messier than the one in the journal. Could his memory loss have affected his handwriting? Looker went with what he had and assumed he wasn't the writer.

So, did the journals have anything to with him at all? Maybe he just being paranoid. Looker figured losing your memory could cause you to lose your trust. Why did he feel so… strange? The man didn't know what to make of anything. He just wished he was on the beach back in the Hoenn region. At least he felt safe there.

The sirens still went off in the hallway. Looker wondered if it was a normal occurrence, sirens going off every few hours. How would he sleep? Could he sleep anyway? He had already been with Lysandre for a day, and he couldn't sleep the previous night. It seemed Looker had once again found himself in the dark with no light to guide him. Everything seemed hopeless…

* * *

><p>Zero woke up in a cage. The bars that surrounded him were made of electricity and threatened to shock him if he attempted to even step near them. The rest of the room, in and outside his cage, was black. There was little light that poured into the room. Just how he liked it…<p>

As he started to move, Zero realized his arms were tied behind his back. He struggled to make himself comfortable on the hard, stone floor because there was nothing else there. Team Flare wasn't hospitable enough to supply him with a pathetic bed and restroom, well, toilet. Either that, or he wasn't staying there long.

He just hoped he wouldn't see Ace for a while. His easy defeat was too much of a humiliation for him. Any confidence he had was gone. Master would be upset he failed her. She would surely send someone to come save him, right? Maybe Dalila would come…

A redness covered Zero's pale face. Dalila was so graceful and had so much finesse in everything she did. She reminded him of the beautiful, caring sea. He couldn't live without her…

Zero shook himself out of it. He was on a mission and didn't need anyone from the back of his head interfering, even if she was insanely beautiful… Zero banged his head against the stone wall.

"Are you okay?" Malva stood on the other side of the bars he was stuck in, not really caring if Zero was okay or not. Her eyebrows were raised, and she gave Zero a look of amusement.

Zero recovered very quickly, "I'm just fine, thank you. I wouldn't mind a bed though…" Zero motioned to the hard floor with his hand.

"I'm glad to see you are prepared to stay here, but unfortunately for you, that isn't our plan at the moment," Malva said sending out a chandelure. "Don't try anything or I'll melt you Frosty."

"Where are we going?" Zero said surprised someone would choose Malva over Ace to transport him.

"You'll find out," she said as she typed in the code to Zero's confinement. The bars disappeared and Malva watched as the young man struggled to get to his feet. She pulled a black pieces of cloth out of her pocket that caught Zero's attention.

"What's that for?" Zero questioned Malva and noticed the irritated look on her face as he waited for a response.

"I was ordered to blindfold you, but I'm seriously considering just shoving it down your throat." She roughly tied the piece of cloth around Zero's head so it covered his eyes. "Now stop asking questions."

Zero snickered as she pushed him forward through the dark hallway. "What's the problem with asking questions? It's how you _learn_." He purposefully asked Malva the question.

"Chandelure use flamethrower," Malva said with no emotion in her voice at all. Malva knew Zero wouldn't know, but she was trying to hold in her laughter as the question asker's expression suddenly changed before the flamethrower hit him.

"Ow…" Malva heard him say from the ground. His skin, as white as snow about a minute ago, was now burnt and charred.

"Anymore questions?" Malva said as Zero clumsily pushed himself off the floor. The Elite Four member felt satisfied as she led him into the elevator.

Zero's hand suddenly came up to push the blindfold off his eyes. "No more questions? Darn, I was just having a little fun." Chandelure was frozen in a block of ice before Malva even knew what happened. The flamethrower had burnt the rope keeping Zero's hands together to a crisp.

"You…" Malva growled, angry about being outplayed.

Zero aimed an ice beam at Malva's feet, freezing her to the floor. Malva threw the two pokeballs on her belt out only for it to be too late. Zero had already disappeared into the elevator.

"Crap…" Malva muttered under her breath. She pointed at her pyroar and torkoal, "Get me out of this block of ice!"

Malva lifted her arm and spoke into the band on her wrist, "Prisoner 2690 has escaped. I repeat, prisoner 2690 has escaped." Malva frowned at what just happened. So much for her reputation as a member of the Elite Four. She let her guard down for one second, just like the girl. Malva heard the sirens go off above her.

* * *

><p>"Ha, ha, ha! You can't catch me!" Zero was having the time of his life. He had frozen ten grunts and eight admins. He ran around another corner realizing he needed to find the information on the Expansion Suit and leave before Malva found him again. She would be… unpleasant.<p>

Seeing another grunt challenging him he asked, "Where can I find Xerosic's old office?"

The grunt's face immediately paled at the mention of the name. "How do you…"

Zero grabbed the man by the front of his shirt and pushed him against the wall before he could grab his pokeballs. "Well?" Zero said looking at the grunt threateningly.

The young grunt stole a glance down the hallway and said, "Xerosic's office is on the lowest floor. His office is all the way in the back but is heavily guarded. Can you let me go now?"

Zero dropped the pathetic grunt to the floor and sprinted down the hallway. "Thanks for your help!"

* * *

><p>Looker was reading about the Expansion Suit. After his lack of success with the observation journals revolving around the outcome of secret trials, Looker decided he wanted to read more about the Expansion Suit:<p>

"EXPANSION SUIT SPECS

Physical Enhancement

Heightens physical abilities of the wearer with built-in muscle-enhancing technology.

2. Pokeball Jack

A hacking cable on the neck piece allows the wearer to upload a computer virus to pokeballs and override their systems. This provides access to control the pokemon. The virus also magnifies the pokemon's power.

3. Surface Texturing

Optically disguises the wearer, based on the current understanding of kecleon and ditto's physical transformations.

4. Remote Control

Remote control of the suit protects against the risk of its wearer going renegade. Al personalities are preprogrammed, modeled on common trainer types. When the suit is controlled remotely, the wearer's consciousness is suppressed. The wearer experiences a coma-like state."

Looker found himself quite impressed with the overall capabilities of the Expansion Suit. Though, he wasn't sure what it could be used for. Why would someone other than a criminal need a "Pokeball Jack" and a "Surface Texturing" feature? Even the "Remote Control" and "Physical Enhancements" were a bit strange for a normal person. What was this place?

He was starting to get a headache from the loud noise that was _still_ coming from the hallway. A few new sounds could now be heard in the office Looker had been locked inside for the past few hours. The roars of pokemon and panicked voices sounded like they were coming right from outside his room. Smells of smoke and fire reached Looker's nose and he knew something was wrong. Was it possible this place was on fire?

Looker's gaze reached the pile of books that sat in a pile at the back of the room and then back at the door. He may need to get out of here at any second. He ran to the corner and ripped out the few pages that were important to him and shoved them in the pocket of his coat.

A pen sitting on the table in the office caught Looker's attention. He picked it up and broke off the part you could use to attach it to a shirt pocket. His fingers rubbed every surface of the broken pen part. He didn't know how to pick a lock, did he? Why did this all feel so natural to him?

He shoved the small piece of plastic into the lock on the doorknob and after wiggling it a little he was free. Looker didn't know how he had managed to do it, but he did. It was as if his fingers had done it so many times that they didn't need to listen to instructions from his head.

Looker pushed open the door, prepared to see flames ready to burn him until he was nothing but a pile of ashes. So, you could say Looker was more than surprised to feel the sting of the cold on his skin. Ice covered the floor and men and women were frozen in blocks of ice. Looker stood in front of a pale teenage with light blue eyes.

The teenage pushed the older man to the side, not even looking at him, and walked inside the room, searching through the books that were lined neatly on the shelves.

"What are you looking for?" Looker was more curious about the young man than angry about his rudeness.

"Information on the Expansion Suit," Zero muttered, not seeing him as a threat.

"The Expansion Suit? Like this stuff?" Looker pulled out the paper he had shoved into his pocket moments before and handed it to Zero.

Zero snatched the papers out of Looker's hand and skimmed the information. "Yep, this is it." He stole a glance at the man who he pushed to the side. "Wait a second… I know you…"

This grabbed Looker's attention. "Excuse me? Did you sa-"

"I don't have time for this." Zero's eyes skimmed the older man's face. "I don't suppose you remember anything about me?" Looker shook his head. "Yep, I thought so. Let's get out-"

"Aegislash use slash!"

The attack hit Zero across the stomach, causing him to fall to the floor. "Ow…"

Looker, unsure of what to do, only stared at the man, Celosia, and Aegislash. The woman, unlike the Celosia he met earlier, was acting threatening and hostile.

"How lame! You escaped Malva, but you come back here. For what? Something that was the reason for us bringing you hear in the first place? You should have left while you had the chance. It just goes to show you kids will be kids." Celosia's voice came across Looker as strong and powerful. What was she talking about?

Zero recovered quickly, "You'll… never understand us…" The young man was standing again, but he was straighter than he was when Looker first ran into him.

"Honedge, go!" A sword-like pokemon jumped out of shadows, attaching itself to Zero. Zero felt himself slowly losing consciousness. He fought for control of his mind, but he couldn't win. The ice type was starting to feel the damage from Chandelure's flamethrower. His hands still clutched the pieces of paper filled with writing that he had grabbed from Looker moments ago. He held them out to the man who watched as Zero struggled to fight for himself

"Take them… run… dangerous… last chance…" The words bounced around in Looker's mind until he realized those words were meant for him. So, he took the papers and ran.

Celosia didn't bother to chase after him. For sure some other grunt would bring Looker back. Her responsibility, at the moment, was Zero. Celosia knelt down and stared into Zero's eyes, which were now completely blank. "Mine," she whispered under breath.

What she didn't know was that Looker did manage to escape. No one noticed the man in the brown coat walking past seas of red travelling down the hallways. Everyone was more concerned about the members frozen into ice blocks and the temporary "escape" of Prisoner 2690. Not once did he take a wrong turn in the labyrinth that was the Flare base. It was as if his feet memorized every route in the maze, which scared Looker as he knew he'd been here before. He didn't recognize the Flare logo, but he knew it was wrong. Team Flare was wrong…

Looker kept sprinting until he couldn't anymore. Somewhere out of the city, there was creepy part of the forest. Everything was dead and scary noises came from somewhere beyond this simple world, but that didn't matter to Looker. He collapsed on the ground, happy to be away. It wasn't a familiar place, but he'd prefer safe over familiar any day. Maybe it was for the best Looker forgot everything. He didn't need danger… he just needed to sleep… So, he fell asleep in the darkness of a forest, away from a gray office with bookshelves and a tall man with red hair.

* * *

><p>"What… happened?" Vee whispered the question to herself as her eyelids opened to the world around her. She couldn't remember anything until she noticed Pikachu limp in her arms. Letting out a small yelp, she dropped the pokemon and backed up, until she realized he was injured.<p>

That's right… She stole some kid's badges and lost Gwen after the chaos at Prism Tower. How could she forget the ice and Zero? Then Ace…

Her hands curled into fists. She wanted so badly to kill him, but it wasn't his fault he was a complete _idiot_, but she knew she didn't have much room to talk. It was her _own_ fault. After all, she let her guard down for one minute, letting her impatience grow stronger than her reasoning. Vee knew it very well and was sure Mewtwo would make it clear what a moron she was. Ace should have had her right there, but what happened? All Vee could remember was the darkness… Was it possible she… teleported?

Vee's eyes widened at her sudden realization. A smile appeared on her face, and she felt… happy. Something actually went her way for once. That feeling didn't last for long though, because Vee realized she had no idea where she was. The sun was slowly setting and it would get dark soon. Also, Gwen was still missing. All the young girl could think of was the young pokemon wandering the city in search of her friend. Another problem was Pikachu. Vee wasn't sure whether to help the pokemon or leave him there for her own safety. There was really no choice to be made anyway because Pikachu woke up at that moment.

"_Where…" _Pikachu suddenly saw Vee and took on an attacking stance.

Vee grabbed a nearby tree branch and held it up. "Okay. I know we have had our differences but _please_ no more thunderbolts."

Pikachu immediately charged up his electricity and launched a thunderbolt attack at Vee. The electric type attack hit the tree branch and travelled to Vee. After feeling the shock of it run through her bones, she fell backwards.

"I said please…" Pikachu heard Vee from the ground. He continued to growl at her. After recovering from the attack, Vee noticed the tree branch she was holding was completely fried. "Well, I guess it wasn't a good idea to use a tree branch to defend myself against an electric type…" Vee sighed when she heard the yellow pokemon laughing at her. Pikachu didn't see Vee as threat at all. "Hey! Stop laughing at me!" The young trainer screamed at the pokemon who was now keeling over in laughter.

Vee decided to ignore Pikachu. If she were to walk away now, he probably wouldn't even notice. So, the girl started to walk through the dark woods and murky swamp that surrounded her, and Pikachu did notice and ran after her. "Now where are we?" Vee finally stopped when she noticed she was as the top of a steep hill. The view was a good sign for Pikachu and Vee. Bright lights and towering skyscrapers that were Lumiose City could be seen over the dead, dark limbs of trees. "I guess we go that way."

"_Hey!" _A small voice sounded behind the thief. "_You shouldn't take things that aren't yours!"_ Vee turned around to see Pikachu and the threats that were the sparks coming from his cheeks.

"Who's going to stop me?" Vee said arrogantly to the little, yellow pokemon. She ignored the fact that Gwen was gone to protect her from Pikachu. Matter of fact, if Gwen hadn't been there before, she would've been toast.

Pikachu lunged forward, his tail turning a metallic shade. The attack missed Vee herself, but not the bag that hung from her belt. The brunette didn't notice this at all and while dodging the attack took an unfortunate step and found herself sliding down a muddy hill, unable to stop.

"_Are you okay?" _Pikachu questioned, carefully following the trail of mud Vee had created on her ride down.

At the bottom of the hill, Vee clutched her leg in pain. Coming down the hill she had gained speed that she wasn't able to slow down. Unable to stop herself, her leg got caught on something on the way down, but the rest of her body kept falling. An unbearable pain shot through her leg at any movement she made, but she still struggled to rise to her feet. The sound of rustling leaves unnerved Vee because she knew the little rat was coming closer.

Pikachu became visible to Vee despite the darkness that surrounded him. At first, he didn't do anything at all, but eventually he moved closer to examine the injury. "_Wow, you really hurt yourself. I should go get hel-"_

"No!" Vee screamed in response to the electric mouse. "I don't need you to go get help! I don't need anyone's help, especially not yours!"

Surprised at the response, Pikachu tilted his head. The girl's stubbornness reminded him of Ash. Ash! His trainer must've been so worried about him. A feeling of guilt invaded him as he registered that he hadn't thought of Ash at all. The trainer was probably searching all of Lumiose City while he sat there not caring about what became of his trainer.

The pokemon's attention was back on the young girl in front of him. He couldn't just leave her here, even if she was insane. Pikachu could tell the girl was in serious pain, despite her trying to hide it. "_What's your name?"_

Vee scowled at the pokemon. "It's none of your business," she replied curtly.

Pikachu frowned at her response. "_You know my name. Why can't I know yours?"_ Pikachu inquired curiously.

Now, Vee ignored Pikachu, not even bothering with a rude reply. She turned her head the other way and tried guessing what the creepy noises could be. The wind, a pokemon, footsteps, whispers…

Pikachu frowned at the brunette. Nevermind, this girl was nothing like Ash. She hadn't even mentioned one thing about food. His mind wandered off to hamburgers, fries, _ketchup_…

...monsters, bugs, and _ghosts_. A chill ran up Vee's spine at her last guess. Every sound travelled over to Vee's ears like a magnet. She paid the greatest attention she could give to every little sound.

"_I'm hungry." _The friendly voice made Vee shriek. Pikachu gave her a confused look when he noticed how pale she was. The girl took in a deep and breath and the color soon returned to her face.

"You scared me." Her voice came out as relieved.

"_You knew I was here the entire time. Are you sure you don't need help?"_ Pikachu asked sounding more concerned. As much as he wanted to return to Ash, Pikachu wouldn't leave without the badges he and the rest of his team had worked so hard for. Even if the girl wasn't the badge thief, she was still just a kid. Ash would've helped her.

Vee looked around at the shadows and the disappearing sun. That was it, she need needed to leave this place. "You know, I think a little help would be nice."

* * *

><p>Ace wasn't entirely happy that he screwed up and that he would have to return to the base and tell his boss why he failed. The entire incident ruined his day. So, when he returned to the base to see that someone else had mess up, it comforted him. He and Malva were stuck in an office with an already irritated Lysandre.<p>

"You both… failed?" The man grumbled. Malva and Ace stood before the man and nodded. "On top of our financial failure right now, I have to deal with this."

"Financial failure? The cafe has had plenty of customers. It's been doing better than ever thanks to me!" Malva burst out, believing her boss was blaming her.

"Yes, but without Lysandre Labs, our stack of money has reached a new low. The cafe is doing wonderful, but we won't be able to keep our heads above the water forever. The success of the Holocaster proved to be very important to the organization. Not only did it make us millions, but it also let us spy on trainers. I hate to say it, but at least I don't have to pay the dead grunts." Lysandre's fingers reached up to rub his temples. It was easy to see the stress was slowly aging him.

"So, Looker has disappeared from the base, prisoner 2690 almost escaped, and to top it off you lost our target," Lysandre gave a worried glance, "Anything else?" After looking from Ace to Malva he concluded there was no more bad news. "Ace, you are to stay here and watch over Zero's cell. Malva, I want you to retrieve our target. I don't care how you do it, just make sure she is alive."

Malva was very surprised at her boss's orders. He very rarely told her she could do whatever it took. She was more shocked about the part where he said she would go to capture the little brat, after she majorly let her ego get ahead of her. The Elite Four member was sure Lysandre would give a grunt any job over giving it to her.

Ace on the other hand, wasn't too pleased. "Wait a second, you're giving my mission to _her_? It wasn't even my faul-"

"I'm sure you have plenty to say in our defense, but that's not the reason for the change of plans. You know prisoner 2690 more than anyone present at this base, correct?"

"Yes, bu-" Lysandre cut the boy off yet again.

"Exactly. We need someone to keep the boy in check. He is danger-" This time Lysandre was the one to get cut off.

"So is Vee! If Malva couldn't handle him," Ace pointed down, "what makes you think she can handle Vee?"

"I know fully well the capabilities of Malva. You have had your chance, and you failed." Lysandre stood up from where he was sitting. His eyes before were scary, but now they were as sharp as daggers, and all of them were pointed at Ace's throat. "You are dismissed."

"What about Looker?" Malva seemed to think that Lysandre had forgotten all about the member of the International Police.

"What about him? He is of no use to us. His memory is as blank as an empty sheet of paper and there's no recovering it. Any information he had about Xerosic is gone. The best chance we have of finding any information at the moment is through our prisoner. Looker is clueless and unaware of his situation."

"That's not what Celosia said." Malva said trying to make her tone as unemotional as possible, so as not to irritate Lysandre.

"What do you mean?" The man's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"Celosia told me that Looker got away with some documents in Xerosic's office. They were the same files Zero tried to grab before his escape attempt. Celosia did some extra observations and watched Looker through the security cameras in Xerosic's office. He seemed more interested in those journals than he let on apparently." Malva explained her thoughts in a confident tone.

"I'll have to talk to Celosia later. If you happen to run into Looker, kill him." Lysandre finished the last part of his sentence casually, as if it wasn't a big deal for him to say something violent. Malva and Ace, though surprised, didn't react or show their feelings. Their boss was getting desperate, and the two both knew it. He couldn't take any risks like he did before. Team Flare was right back where they started, which wasn't a bad thing. They just needed a few lucky swings to hit home.

* * *

><p>Trainers sent out their pokemon to battle the charizard still raging outside the city, but no one was able to defeat the fire type. It was surprise to everyone when the angry pokemon just flew away. Whatever it was upset about didn't bother it anymore. Officer Jenny was able to calm people down, but not Ash Ketchum.<p>

"Pikachu!" Ash screamed at the top of his lungs for his friend who had vanished. He pushed through everyone blocking his path. His search had gone through the huge area circling Prism Tower, but truth is Ash had no idea where Pikachu could have disappeared to. He wouldn't be able to search all of Lumiose before the sun set either. The raven haired boy wasn't even sure if Pikachu was _in_ Lumiose City.

"Ash, calm down!" Serena yelled from behind the frantic trainer. She knew how much Ash cared about Pikachu, but what he was doing now wasn't helping them find him. Serena glanced back at Clemont.

"Ash… please… _stop_!" Clemont said in between breaths as he struggled to keep up with his friend.

"Clemont, you're _so_ slow!" Bonnie said as she noticed how far behind her brother was.

Ash turned his head as he ran, "I hav-" The young trainer ran into something and fell backwards onto the ground. His hand reached up to rub his head. "Ouch…"

"Well, if it isn't my Clemont and Bonnie! And your girlfriend of course!" Ash looked up to see a large man in overalls and underneath that, a black t-shirt. The man had a brown beard and a goofy smile on his face.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" Clemont questioned his father. "And she's not my… girlfriend," the gym leader finished off awkwardly.

"Taking care of business at _your_ gym. I'm afraid there's been a break in. Young man, why are you on the ground?" It took Ash a few seconds to realize the question was meant for him.

"No reason!" He immediately jumped to his feet. "Wait, someone broke into the Lumiose gym?" Ash said only thinking about how his gym battle would be delayed. "I guess that means no gym battle, huh?" The trainer shared his disappointment.

"Oh, so the only reason you stopped by Lumiose was because of a gym battle? Couldn't even bother to stop by home to say hi to your father," he said shooting a Clemont a glare.

Bonnie stepped in to defend her brother, "Well, we all know how impatient Ash is!" They all started to laugh with the exception of Ash who just grinned sheepishly.

"Hey, aren't we missing someone?" Meyer didn't know his question could change expressions so quickly. "What's wrong?"

The four kids explained to the man what had happened to Pikachu. "Strange…" He said to himself. Outloud he said, "I'm sorry to hear about your badges, Ash. I'm sure I can help you find your friend, but it is getting dark out. Don't you think you should take a break for the night and continue tomorrow? I wouldn't mind a few extra friendly faces around for tonight. It gets a little lonely, just me and Ampharos."

Ash frowned at Meyer's suggestion. He knew he wouldn't be able to find Pikachu tonight, but he couldn't just stop looking. His friend could be anywhere right now, in any kind of danger, and he would be _resting_.

"Grrrrrr…" Ash's stomach let him and the others know he was hungry. "I could go for a little food, I guess."

"I'd be happy to make my specialty!" Serena winked at Ash.

"What about the gym?" Clemont's question hung in the air for a few seconds.

"There's nothing we can do. Officer Jenny has the entire place blocked off. She wouldn't let me in to grab something." Meyer smiled uneasily.

"What did they steal?" Bonnie chimed in curiously.

Meyer just shrugged and avoided making any eye contact with his daughter. "I'm not… sure. Officer Jenny won't give me any details." The goofy smile reappeared, "Now let's celebrate my kid's homecoming." Clemont and Bonnie were pulled into a hug with their father, as well as Ash and Serena after a couple of seconds.

* * *

><p>Where was he? Nothing was clear to Ash. Everything he saw could only be made out as a shadow. Suddenly, there was something more than darkness. Ash could make out a ball of light, and naturally he ran to it. When the boy got closer, he realized there wasn't only one ball of light but two. Everything else around Ash paled in comparison to what was in front of him.<p>

"Pika!" The sound surprised Ash so much he lost his balance.

"Pikachu?" The kid felt his heart skip a beat. "Where are you?"

"Pika pi!" Pikachu's voice grew more anxious.

"Pikachu? Where are you?" Ash kept repeating his questions over and over.

"Help… me…" A soft voice echoed in Ash's head until his eyes opened. It was just a dream, right? The light turned on and Ash saw Clemont at the switch.

"Are you okay, Ash? You were talking in your sleep." Clemont rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"I… just had a bad dream," Ash mumbled. He had a strange feeling slowly spreading through him. It was familiar, but Ash couldn't remember what it was about.

"Okay, we should go back to bed the-" Clemont turned off the lights.

"Wait!" Ash jumped to his feet and flipped the switch back on. "I think I know where Pikachu is! We have to go! I think he's in trouble." He leapt out of the room and bounded down the hall to the girl's room. "Serena! Bonnie! We have to go help Pikachu!"

Serena fell about of bed startled at the sudden screaming. "Are you crazy? It's not even one o'clock yet!"

"We've-" Ash tried to continue, but was shushed by Serena.

"You might wake up Bonnie!" She whispered in an irritated tone.

At that moment, Clemont stumbled through the doorway, "Don't forget you might wake up dad and Ampharos. Trust me, you do not want to get on their bad side this early."

"I know where Pikachu is. I think he's in trouble." Ash turned to Clemont, "Do you have a flashlight?"

"Ash, how can you be so sure about where Pikachu is? Remember, we decided to look in the morning. Let's go back to bed. What do you need a flashlight for anyway? We're in Lumiose City, which is almost as bright as the sun itself!" Clemont stopped to make sure he was understood, "Metaphorically speaking of course."

"Pikachu isn't _in_ Lumiose City. That's why we'll need the flashlight. You don't have to come if you don't want to, but I think Pikachu is in trouble," Ash declared.

"Is this about your dream?" Clemont sighed. There was no stopping Ash from doing what he wanted to do. It was either Clemont sucked it up and went with him, or slept in his soft, comfortable bed while Ash faced uncertain danger. "Fine, because I know I won't be able to convince you to go back to sleep until we at least go and look for Pikachu. We better wake up Bonnie. She'll be mad if we don't."

Serena stepped in front of Clemont. "What about your dad? Don't you think he'll be worried if he notices his house is empty when he wakes up?"

"Don't worry, we'll be back by then. Are you coming?" Serena looked down at herself. She completely forgot she was in her pajamas and felt a little embarrassed.

"Just give me and Bonnie a minute to get ready." Serena pushed the boys out of her room and slammed the door.

"I think we may have to wait a little longer than a minute…" Ash groaned.

* * *

><p><strong>That was a… <strong>_**long**_ **chapter. I was actually still hoping to fit a little more into this chapter, but decided against it. I don't want to make my chapters too long. There was a lot of Looker and Flare here. A lot of this chapter was originally supposed to be with chapter 2 or 3. I hope to include Team Rocket and Ash **

**(a lot more of Ash than we have seen so far) in the next chapter, but we'll see how that goes.**

**Thanks to the first to follow this story (remisolleke)**

**A response to thor94: My plan is to have Ash more involved. Ash will be involved with the Origin Stone and the Flare complot, hopefully as soon as possible. As for special powers, you'll just have to wait and see. Thanks for the review :) **

**If there are any suggestions, comments, or questions feel free to comment or PM me. **


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